id: "MA-03" title: "Maintenance Tools" family: "MA" family_name: "Maintenance" sort_id: "ma-03" priority: "P2" implementation_level: "organization" enhancements: - ma-3.1 - ma-3.2 - ma-3.3 - ma-3.4 - ma-3.5 - ma-3.6
Approve, control, and monitor the use of system maintenance tools; and
Review previously approved system maintenance tools {{ insert: param, ma-03_odp }}.
Guidance
Approving, controlling, monitoring, and reviewing maintenance tools address security-related issues associated with maintenance tools that are not within system authorization boundaries and are used specifically for diagnostic and repair actions on organizational systems. Organizations have flexibility in determining roles for the approval of maintenance tools and how that approval is documented. A periodic review of maintenance tools facilitates the withdrawal of approval for outdated, unsupported, irrelevant, or no-longer-used tools. Maintenance tools can include hardware, software, and firmware items and may be pre-installed, brought in with maintenance personnel on media, cloud-based, or downloaded from a website. Such tools can be vehicles for transporting malicious code, either intentionally or unintentionally, into a facility and subsequently into systems. Maintenance tools can include hardware and software diagnostic test equipment and packet sniffers. The hardware and software components that support maintenance and are a part of the system (including the software implementing utilities such as "ping," "ls," "ipconfig," or the hardware and software implementing the monitoring port of an Ethernet switch) are not addressed by maintenance tools.
Assessment Objective: the use of system maintenance tools is approved;
Assessment Objective: the use of system maintenance tools is controlled;
Assessment Objective: the use of system maintenance tools is monitored;
Assessment Objective: previously approved system maintenance tools are reviewed {{ insert: param, ma-03_odp }}.
Maintenance policy
procedures addressing system maintenance tools
system maintenance tools and associated documentation
maintenance records
system security plan
other relevant documents or records
Organizational personnel with system maintenance responsibilities
organizational personnel with information security responsibilities
Organizational processes for approving, controlling, and monitoring maintenance tools
mechanisms supporting and/or implementing the approval, control, and/or monitoring of maintenance tools